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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Darkest Place is Australian thriller writer Jaye Ford’s fifth book of stand-alones involving women under threat who are definitely not victims. Review at Newtown Review of Books
[Disclaimer: Digital copy provided by Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review]
This was a really enjoyable, tense mystery.
I really enjoyed the 'hook' in this story with the hint that Carly killed her friends. I did kind of want something a little juicier from this part of the story line but I also really appreciated that this part of the story line was not overly drawn out.
I really love this type of story where we are not sure if the main character is crazy or not and the main character herself isn't sure if she is crazy or not.
The author managed to create a really great suspenseful and tense atmosphere in the book that I really enjoyed, so if you enjoy that kind of mystery then I definitely recommend checking this book out.
This was a really enjoyable, tense mystery.
I really enjoyed the 'hook' in this story with the hint that Carly killed her friends. I did kind of want something a little juicier from this part of the story line but I also really appreciated that this part of the story line was not overly drawn out.
I really love this type of story where we are not sure if the main character is crazy or not and the main character herself isn't sure if she is crazy or not.
The author managed to create a really great suspenseful and tense atmosphere in the book that I really enjoyed, so if you enjoy that kind of mystery then I definitely recommend checking this book out.
Slow paced to begin with and only really starts to pick up around the 70% mark. For me personally there wasn’t anything thrilling about the story but not sure if it was because of the pace and how the story line was set out. I did enjoy the characters though they were written well. Overall a decent read but not the best thriller novel.
Loved this book, it had be riveted from the start to the finish. I read anything that Jaye Ford writes, and was not disappointed with this novel. Fantastic!!
Jaye Ford knows how to write a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. This is the perfect Halloween read if you dont like gory murders.
Carly is pretty badass and the romance element doesnt detract from her being able to look after herself. I was rooting for her from the start but the pace does slow in places.
I had no idea who the bad guy was or if there even was one. There are plenty of suspects to keep you guessing as well as a lot of great characters to fall in love with (and prey they arent the bad guy).
This is a chilling creepy read that definitely made me check my doors were locked
Carly is pretty badass and the romance element doesnt detract from her being able to look after herself. I was rooting for her from the start but the pace does slow in places.
I had no idea who the bad guy was or if there even was one. There are plenty of suspects to keep you guessing as well as a lot of great characters to fall in love with (and prey they arent the bad guy).
This is a chilling creepy read that definitely made me check my doors were locked
tense
I should have known better, being familiar with Jaye Ford's previous novels. I picked up Darkest Place at 2am to read a few pages before bed and didn't put it down til I finished the last page, just minutes before my husband's alarm woke him for work at 5am.
After enduring years of guilt, heartbreak, and regret, Charlotte Townsend has finally found the strength to leave her past behind. In a new town, with a new apartment, and a new name, Carly has enrolled in college and is looking towards her future, but three days into her new life she wakes to find a stranger in her bedroom. When the police answer Carly's call for help, they find no sign of the man and assure her it was likely a crime of opportunity. Though shaken by the intrusion Carly refuses to let the incident destroy her fledgling confidence...until then it happens again, and then again.
Darkest Place is an absorbing tale of psychological suspense. The tension builds slowly, gathering momentum until you realise you are holding your breath in anxious anticipation.
"She wants to scream. It’s building in her chest. Trapped there, scratching at her lungs as though her ribs are the bars holding it back. She hears breathing. Not her own. Deep and unhurried. It whispers across her face like a warm cloth. It turns her skin to ice. She lashes out. Hits, twists, kicks. She sees it in her mind, feels it in her muscles. But it doesn’t happen. She doesn’t move. Neither does he. She sees him now. A shape in the darkness. Above her, black and motionless. He is watching. She watches back. Fear roaring through her bones, pulse thumping in her ears. Her voice is wedged in her throat now and choking her. No. Something else is squeezing, pushing down, making blood pound in her face. Warm hand, hard fingers. She doesn’t want to see. Doesn’t want to feel. She shuts her eyes. Waits. "
Carly is a complex character, and given her emotionally fragility, I was never quite sure if I could trust her perception of events as the story progressed. The police certainly have their doubts about the reliability of her reports, and Carly's psychiatrist offers a rational opinion that could explain her experiences, but I was sympathetic to her distress.
"She caught sight of herself in the mirror. Hair a mess, face tear-stained. Dark-ringed, pale, wild-eyed. And she spun away, the image burned onto her retinas. Distraught, panicked, confused. She looked like Charlotte. No, worse than that. She looked crazy."
I have to admit I was ambivalent about the ending, though it works within the context of character and story, I didn't find it wholly satisfying, though I can't really reveal why I feel that way without the risk of spoilers. Nevertheless, there is closure and a sense of triumph and hope.
Darkest Place is Ford's fifth novel and I would say her best to date. Clever, thrilling and gripping.
This review was published on Lost in a Good Book
I remember bits and pieces of this book but not enough to write a proper review about it.
Looking at the literal one sentence note I wrote about it when I read it in 2016 I determined it was clever and “You understand Carly's reasoning for what she does, and even at the end, she leaves you wondering about her and what her future holds.” All very important pieces of information.
I remember feeling unsettled as I read, the nature of the story and how Ford plays with your mind that you get caught up in Carly’s own paranoia. As she suspects the people around her so do you and the unknown is a very good fear factor. The simplicity of this thriller is what makes it works. It isn’t anything over the top, it relies on playing with the human experience, the unsettling nature of the unexplainable and our own fears and using that against us. The everyday nature of the narrative is what connects you, the fact this could happen to anyone is where it becomes most unnerving.
I would be interested in a revisit to this story because I think I remember how this ends but getting caught up in Ford’s gripping, dark and twisted story again could be worth it.
I remember bits and pieces of this book but not enough to write a proper review about it.
Looking at the literal one sentence note I wrote about it when I read it in 2016 I determined it was clever and “You understand Carly's reasoning for what she does, and even at the end, she leaves you wondering about her and what her future holds.” All very important pieces of information.
I remember feeling unsettled as I read, the nature of the story and how Ford plays with your mind that you get caught up in Carly’s own paranoia. As she suspects the people around her so do you and the unknown is a very good fear factor. The simplicity of this thriller is what makes it works. It isn’t anything over the top, it relies on playing with the human experience, the unsettling nature of the unexplainable and our own fears and using that against us. The everyday nature of the narrative is what connects you, the fact this could happen to anyone is where it becomes most unnerving.
I would be interested in a revisit to this story because I think I remember how this ends but getting caught up in Ford’s gripping, dark and twisted story again could be worth it.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, it's pitch black but you could have sworn there was someone in your room? Now what if that kept happening.... and there was someone actually there? What if no one believed you? That what if - well it just became Carly's reality.
Carly Townsend has only recently moved into her new warehouse apartment in Wickham, Newcastle. New to area she knows no one, and that's precisely why she chose the area. You see, Carly Townsend's life has been anything but easy, and everyone needs a break from prying eyes and haunting pasts once in awhile. So Carly brought an apartment in a suburb she knew nothing about believing it was her chance to escape a little, get her life back on track and learn to live again. And it does for a while, until it all goes horribly wrong. One night, not too long after moving in, Carly wakes in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling that someone is in her apartment. But not just in her living space, but standing over her while she sleeps. Terrified she calls the cops, like any sane person would do, and so the story begins.
I can pretty much sum up this book in two words: terrifyingly addictive. If you've seen my social media pages, or the blog, you know I went crazy about this book. Not only is it a captivating and addictive read that has you racing to turn the pages, but there is this lingering and eerie sense of unease that follows the reader throughout the novel. You never know who to trust, or where to look. I broke out in goosebumps on multiple occasions while reading the narrative. I also wanted to sleep with the light on!
In many ways this book is terrifying in just how mundane and common the fear is and crime could be. We've all woken up at some point during our lives swearing that there was someone in our room - at the foot of our bed, behind the door, etc -, that simply wasn't there. We've all experienced adrenaline pumping so fast through our body that we simply can't decide whether to run or stay as still as a statue in the hope that they might just leave. We've all turned the light on at least once. Some of us - myself included - have even left the light on. We also all know just how irrational the fear is, and that in most cases in reality there is nothing there other than an overworked and over-active imagination. I know mine is the worst. But what makes the narrative even more terrifying is the added dimension that Carly can feel the stranger's breath in her ear, and feel their body pressed up alongside hers. What's more, the night-time freak outs become more and more frequent over time, and to make matters worse, with each visit, less and less people start to believe the 'crazy new girl' with the wild imagination. So now not only is the narrative terrifying in the way that it could happen to any of us on any of these occasions, but its now just damn plain creepy and disturbing with the physical aspects!
This evoking of terror and the concept of just how common this fear and possibility could just be, makes this novel even more addictive to read. Because now not only is the story fast paced, snappy and a little unnerving, but we know exactly what Carly is going through due to our own experiences and can't imagine what it is like to live it day in and day out. I mean your home is supposed to be 'your place', that one spot where you can come home to and relax and veg out and just be who you are. It's where you feel most secure. It's where you feel safe. But when the recurring events that Carly faces keep happening, you can't help but wonder what it is that made her stay. Before you know it, you are so invested in getting Carly out of their alive and to prove what is happening to her isn't simply in her head, that your racing through the book accusing character's left, right and centre and screaming at Carly to run the other way from particular people.... who may or may not end up to be real or the bad 'person'.
Given the thriller aspects and criminal nature of this fear (and the narrative) it doesn't take the reader long to become suspicious of everyone around Carly. Quite early on in the novel, I found myself questioning the motives of other characters including her neighbours and the police investigating the intrusions. But when Carly's painful and traumatic past is brought to life (and this isn't a spoiler because it happens right at the beginning) I couldn't help but start to question Carly. Given her past, and the constant night time visits, the police findings and the pure context and situation of the crime, I started to wonder if Carly really was the most reliable narrator? Or was there something deeper psychologically going on there with her and her surrounds. Of course that just meant I started analysing everyone around Carly and her actions even more and it made myself question what would I do, should I ever find myself in the same situation. To be honest, I still don't really know the answer to that.
As far as characterisation goes, I think Jaye Ford really nailed every aspect of the characters in this book. Carly/Charlotte Townsend was a complex character who almost had two split identities. Charlotte of the old - a bright bubbly young adult devastated by the mistakes of the past and now the classic damsel-in-distress heroine - Vs Carly - a strong female lead who despite being frightened, traumatised and almost out of her mind with fear, won't take what is happening to her (real or imagined) sitting down. It's Carly that fights back despite the inner Charlotte wanting to sit down and cry and wait for the narrative's hero to come and sweep her off her feet and save her. In some ways, it's this split character and the underlying wavering question of what is and isn't real that heightens the narrative and makes the whole incident and situation so much more suspect, and suspenseful. I also loved the inverting of character type casting and typical narratives from where the male hero is the one expected to save the heroine from the big bad world. Without giving too much away, I loved the fact that when one of the two got badly hurt, it wasn't Carly who was laid up helpless and out of options.
Overall, Darkest Place is a thrilling and terrifyingly addicted narrative that is sure to stop you in your tracks and make you re-evaluate your preconceived ideals. There's also a chance you will never look at a darkened room the same again.
Ideal for fans of the crime thriller genre and anyone who loves a good fast paced, snappy read that will leave you second guessing everyone and trusting no one. Oddly enough (despite it not being a psychological thriller) I believe fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep would enjoy this novel for its thriller complexities without some of the more nasty, over the top elements that dominate those books (particular the former one). It's almost like a pared back, Australian crime version that still has plenty of substance and content to keep the reader on their toes. Or in this book's case, sleeping with one eye open...
This review was originally posted on my blog The Never Ending Bookshelf on 1/3/2016 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-No
Carly Townsend has only recently moved into her new warehouse apartment in Wickham, Newcastle. New to area she knows no one, and that's precisely why she chose the area. You see, Carly Townsend's life has been anything but easy, and everyone needs a break from prying eyes and haunting pasts once in awhile. So Carly brought an apartment in a suburb she knew nothing about believing it was her chance to escape a little, get her life back on track and learn to live again. And it does for a while, until it all goes horribly wrong. One night, not too long after moving in, Carly wakes in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling that someone is in her apartment. But not just in her living space, but standing over her while she sleeps. Terrified she calls the cops, like any sane person would do, and so the story begins.
I can pretty much sum up this book in two words: terrifyingly addictive. If you've seen my social media pages, or the blog, you know I went crazy about this book. Not only is it a captivating and addictive read that has you racing to turn the pages, but there is this lingering and eerie sense of unease that follows the reader throughout the novel. You never know who to trust, or where to look. I broke out in goosebumps on multiple occasions while reading the narrative. I also wanted to sleep with the light on!
In many ways this book is terrifying in just how mundane and common the fear is and crime could be. We've all woken up at some point during our lives swearing that there was someone in our room - at the foot of our bed, behind the door, etc -, that simply wasn't there. We've all experienced adrenaline pumping so fast through our body that we simply can't decide whether to run or stay as still as a statue in the hope that they might just leave. We've all turned the light on at least once. Some of us - myself included - have even left the light on. We also all know just how irrational the fear is, and that in most cases in reality there is nothing there other than an overworked and over-active imagination. I know mine is the worst. But what makes the narrative even more terrifying is the added dimension that Carly can feel the stranger's breath in her ear, and feel their body pressed up alongside hers. What's more, the night-time freak outs become more and more frequent over time, and to make matters worse, with each visit, less and less people start to believe the 'crazy new girl' with the wild imagination. So now not only is the narrative terrifying in the way that it could happen to any of us on any of these occasions, but its now just damn plain creepy and disturbing with the physical aspects!
This evoking of terror and the concept of just how common this fear and possibility could just be, makes this novel even more addictive to read. Because now not only is the story fast paced, snappy and a little unnerving, but we know exactly what Carly is going through due to our own experiences and can't imagine what it is like to live it day in and day out. I mean your home is supposed to be 'your place', that one spot where you can come home to and relax and veg out and just be who you are. It's where you feel most secure. It's where you feel safe. But when the recurring events that Carly faces keep happening, you can't help but wonder what it is that made her stay. Before you know it, you are so invested in getting Carly out of their alive and to prove what is happening to her isn't simply in her head, that your racing through the book accusing character's left, right and centre and screaming at Carly to run the other way from particular people.... who may or may not end up to be real or the bad 'person'.
Given the thriller aspects and criminal nature of this fear (and the narrative) it doesn't take the reader long to become suspicious of everyone around Carly. Quite early on in the novel, I found myself questioning the motives of other characters including her neighbours and the police investigating the intrusions. But when Carly's painful and traumatic past is brought to life (and this isn't a spoiler because it happens right at the beginning) I couldn't help but start to question Carly. Given her past, and the constant night time visits, the police findings and the pure context and situation of the crime, I started to wonder if Carly really was the most reliable narrator? Or was there something deeper psychologically going on there with her and her surrounds. Of course that just meant I started analysing everyone around Carly and her actions even more and it made myself question what would I do, should I ever find myself in the same situation. To be honest, I still don't really know the answer to that.
As far as characterisation goes, I think Jaye Ford really nailed every aspect of the characters in this book. Carly/Charlotte Townsend was a complex character who almost had two split identities. Charlotte of the old - a bright bubbly young adult devastated by the mistakes of the past and now the classic damsel-in-distress heroine - Vs Carly - a strong female lead who despite being frightened, traumatised and almost out of her mind with fear, won't take what is happening to her (real or imagined) sitting down. It's Carly that fights back despite the inner Charlotte wanting to sit down and cry and wait for the narrative's hero to come and sweep her off her feet and save her. In some ways, it's this split character and the underlying wavering question of what is and isn't real that heightens the narrative and makes the whole incident and situation so much more suspect, and suspenseful. I also loved the inverting of character type casting and typical narratives from where the male hero is the one expected to save the heroine from the big bad world. Without giving too much away, I loved the fact that when one of the two got badly hurt, it wasn't Carly who was laid up helpless and out of options.
Overall, Darkest Place is a thrilling and terrifyingly addicted narrative that is sure to stop you in your tracks and make you re-evaluate your preconceived ideals. There's also a chance you will never look at a darkened room the same again.
Ideal for fans of the crime thriller genre and anyone who loves a good fast paced, snappy read that will leave you second guessing everyone and trusting no one. Oddly enough (despite it not being a psychological thriller) I believe fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep would enjoy this novel for its thriller complexities without some of the more nasty, over the top elements that dominate those books (particular the former one). It's almost like a pared back, Australian crime version that still has plenty of substance and content to keep the reader on their toes. Or in this book's case, sleeping with one eye open...
This review was originally posted on my blog The Never Ending Bookshelf on 1/3/2016 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-No